<div id="subtitle">Pentagon says first troops among planned surge of 30,000 have begun arriving in Afghanistan</div><div><p>Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell says the first of 30,000 additional troops being sent to Afghanistan have begun to arrive.</p><p>In a Pentagon press briefing, Morrell told reporters that a Marine battalion ordered to deploy earlier this month already has "some boots on the ground," with the rest of them to be flown in before Christmas.</p><p>Morrell says "the surge has begun in earnest."</p><p>Officials say the goal is to have all 30,000 troops in place by the end of next summer.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=65550677&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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